Ron Paul Tells His Supporters “It’s Over”
Ron Paul once again told his supporters in an email last night that it is clear he’s not going to be the Republican nominee:
(CNN) – Ron Paul, who has not officially dropped his bid for the Republican presidential nomination, admitted to supporters in an email Wednesday he was not positioned to receive enough delegates to challenge Mitt Romney at the GOP convention in Tampa.
The delegate math, however, won’t stop his supporters from voicing their stance on small government and fiscal reform, Paul wrote.
“When it is all said and done, we will likely have as many as 500 supporters as delegates on the Convention floor,” the Texas congressman wrote. “That is just over 20 percent! And while this total is not enough to win the nomination, it puts us in a tremendous position to grow our movement and shape the future of the GOP!”
CNN currently estimates Paul to have the backing of 140 delegates. In May, Paul’s campaign said it would shift its focus from competing in primary states to securing delegates at state party conventions ahead of the national Republican convention in Tampa, Florida in late August. Paul is not running for re-election to the U.S. House of Representatives.
In his letter, Paul said delegates supporting the presumptive GOP nominee Mitt Romney would also help his cause.
“We will send several hundred additional supporters to Tampa who, while bound to Romney, believe in our ideas of liberty, constitutional government, and a common-sense foreign policy,” Paul wrote.
(…)
Paul urged his backers to remain civil Wednesday, saying the movement was poised to wield ever greater sway in future elections.
“Our delegates’ presence must be felt both in Tampa and in years to come,” Paul wrote. “Stand up for what we believe in. Be respectful. And let the establishment know that we are the future of the Party and of the country.”
That “be civil” part is something Paul supporters should take to heart, especially given things like the embarrassing way they behaved at the recent Louisiana GOP Convention. Will they listen? Personally, I wouldn’t be surprised to see a spontaneous floor demonstration in Tampa, even though it doesn’t appear that’s what Paul has in mind.
I’m sorry, what?
Are you serious? So the Romney chairman gets voted out, so he then orders the police to arrest the new chairman (twice…two duly elected chairmen) breaking the fingers of one and dislocating the prosthetic hip of the other, and you accuse the Ron Paul supports of behaving embarrassingly?? What planet are you on?
@Don:
I’ve read the accounts of the convention, Don. It’s obvious what happened.
Yes, it was quite obvious: The Ron Paul supporters played by the rules and were ignored, arrested, and assaulted for it.
Well, keep in mind that most of Paul’s addled supporters are kids who missed a few doses of their Adderall treatments and a large majority of the remainder are folks who don’t have both oars in the water, if you catch my drift. Of course they’ll act out to varying degrees at the convention. These are mental midgets with waaaay too much time on their hands.
In the end, however, it’s all a moot point. The chances of these Paul freaks having any material effect on the outcome of Nov.’s general election are the same as the OWS freaks’ chances of “reforming” Wall Street: zero.point.zero.
It’s sad that your collectivist minds can’t see past what you think you know.
@Don: test
Was anybody seriously anticipating a riot?
The only thing that could cause a riot at the GOP Convention would be a power outage that causes AC to go down.
@Don:
“Collectivist” as in: Ayn Rand availed herself of “collectivist” programs like social security and medicare? That kind of “collectivist”?
@Don: Don, give it up. Your candidate is an ex-parrot.
@Don:
If Paul supporters want to get behind a libertarian candidate who will actually be on the ballot in November you might want to check in to Gary Johnson.
Just a suggestion.
Wonder how long before this email of Paul’s is linked to the Bilderburger BBQ and all day singing.
@Doug Mataconis:
I’ve read several reports, and watched cell phone videos on YouTube of the Rules Committee meeting and of the opening of the Convention . Here is a summary as it is obvious to me:
* At the LA Caucus on Apr. 28th, Ron Paul wins 111 of 150 delegates. The LAGOP State Central Committee gets to appoint an additional 30 delegates so Ron Paul has 111 of 180 delegates going to the state convention.
* Rules Committee delegates worked for about 1 month to develop the rules for the convention.
* The day before the Rule Committee meeting just prior to the convention, the executive committee of the LAGOP publishes 16 pages of “supplemental” rules that they say will govern the convention and all committee meetings. According to Ron Paul supporters, these new rules violate the LAGOP bylaws and RNC rules.
* The day before the convention at the Rules Committee meeting, the majority of the members of the committee rejected the new rules and 16 of the 21 members voted to remove the Rule Committee chairman, who was Scott Wilfong, the 2012 LAGOP Caucus Director, and voted to install Alex Helwig as the new Rules Committee chairman. The Rules Committee then met and adopted the rules for the convention. All actions were accomplished in accordance with Roberts Rules of Order, which Mr. Wilfong had stated would govern the meeting.
* At the convention the next day, Roger Villere (Convention Chairman) calls for the report from the Rules Committee, and introduces Mr. Wilfong. A woman delegate then twice asks a request for information, but she is ignored by both Mr. Villere and Mr. Wilfong. Alex Helwig then attempts to tell Mr. Villere that Mr. Wilfong is not the Rules Committee chairman, that Mr. Wilfong was removed the day before. Mr. Wilfong then states that he is still the Rules Committee chairman. After some argument, Mr. Villere asks for Mr. Helwig to leave, and then asks the sergeant-at-arms to have him removed. As the off-duty police officers approach Mr. Helwig, he calls for a vote to remove the Chairman, which is immediately seconded by several people.
* As Mr. Helwig is escorted from the room**, Mr. Wilfong attempts to gives his report. But many delegates then start chanting “the chairman was removed” — clearly a message to Mr. Villere that Mr. Wilfong was not the Rules Committee chairman. While Mr. Wilfong is speaking, Mr. Henry Herford is nominated and then elected by an overwhelming (per voice vote) majority of the delegates. The majority of the delegates then turn their chairs around with their backs to Mr. Villere and proceed with the meeting. Mr. Herford runs the meeting for the majority of the delegates using a portable PA system, while Mr. Villere also continues from the dais with a smaller group. Mr. Villere then tells Mr. Herford to turn his microphone off. Mr. Herford does not, and then asks the sergeant-at-arms to shut off Mr. Wilfong’s microphone and have him removed.
* After Mr. Helwig is removed*** by the off-duty police officers, the majority of the delegates then elect Connie Bernard as the new Chairman.
Anyone have other information to add?
Leaving aside the issue of personal injuries (see below), do the actions of the LAGOP sound like they were proper?
I went to the Democratic candidates’ forum for Alexandria City Council last week, and I was so appalled by what i heard that I was going to attend the Alexandria GOP meeting last night to see what Republicans are running. But I am rather disgusted with some of the Republican leadership at this point, so at the last minute I decided not to go. Maybe my vote, and my money, won’t go to the GOP this year, either.
** According to a statement released by the Ron Paul campaign, “Alex Helwig, Chairman of the Rules Committee who made the motion to remove the chair, was arrested by Shreveport police and released. During his brief detainment, some of his fingers were broken and when he returned to the event he was walking with aid of a cane.”
*** Also according to the Paul campaign, “Mr. Herford has a prosthetic hip and according to a doctor at the scene it appears as though the prosthetic was dislocated and may require replacement.” Herford’s injury can be seen on several videos on the web.